Apparatus for compressing hams.



N0. 798,805. PATENTBD SEPT. 5, 1905. H. A: KURLFINKB.

APPARATUS FOR COMPRBSSING HAMS.

' APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 3, 190-1- atfozucu n w u Gama cu. Pnmommmmu;vuswnavom u. c

IIICNRY A. IQURIJFINKE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR COIVIPRESSING HAIVIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1905.

Application filed August 3, 1904. Serial No. 219,296.

Be it known that I, llnxnv A. KcnLrINkn, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Compressing l'lams, of which the following is aspecilication.

.\Iy invention relates to an apparatus for messing hams or meat intoshape before cooking the same, the object of my invention being toprovide an apparatus of this character which shall be cheap and simplein construc.

tion and rapidly and easily operated.

;\Iy invention also resides in the novelconstruction, combination, andarrangement of parts for the above ends hereinafter fully specified, andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myapparatus. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the jackets detached.Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the compressor detached. Figs. A and 5are perspective views of the traveling nuts for holding the ends of thecompressor. Fig. (5 is a detail perspective view of a portion ofajacket. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the same. Fig. 8 is anenlarged broken side view of one of the end stops.

Referring to the drawings, upon any suit able table or frame 1 aresecured the heads 2 of the apparatus, in which is journaled a screw 3,having right and left handed screw portions I 5 and operated by means ofa hand-wheel 6. Upon said portions 4 and 5 travel the nuts T b, whichare prevented rotating by means of a guidebar I), secured between thetops of said heads 2. lly turning the haml-wheel these nuts are causedto travel to or from each other. Upon transverse pins 1011, secured,respectively, to said nuts, are loosely secured the ends of thecompressor 12. This compressor is formed of a split strip of metal, theunsplit portion of which passes between the split portions, as shown,and is adapted to surround a jacket 13, which is made of flexible sheetmetal, perforated, as shown at 1%,.

and in which the ham or other meat to be compressed is placed. The meathaving been placed within the jacket and the jacket having been insertedin place in the loops of the compressor, the hand-wheel is turned tocause the nuts to travel from each other, thereby reducing the diametersof said loops and compressing the jacket with great power. The

' overlapping end '15 of the jacket travels over the under end as thecompression takes place and in so doing hooks 16, formed by bending downportions of the upper end of the sheetmetal jacketadjacent to the edgesthereof, pass over slots .17, cutnear the edges of the jacket at itsunder end. These slots have their rear edges beveled, as shown at IS,the better to hold the hooks. Sincethesehookspassovertheseslots insuccession as the compression takes place, it results that when the hamhas been sufficiently compressed the hooks permanently remain in thefarthest slots into which thcyhavc entered and automatically lock thejacket in position around the ham. End stops 19 are now inserted in theends of the jacket, consisting of wooden disks having sockets 20, inwhich slide latches 21, pressed out by springs 22, having linger-pieces23 and stops 2%. The ends of these latches enter the perforations 14.,but are prevented protruding therethrough by the stops 2%. The ham isthen boiled. After boiling the end stops are removed, the hand-wheel isreversed, the nuts are brought together, loosening the compressor, andthe jacket is removed from between the compressor, retaining the hamtherein compressed ready for boiling. 'hen the ham has been boiled. itcontracts slightly on cooling, so that the books can be withdrawn fromthe slots and the jacket removed from the ham.

25 represents a counter secured upon the guide-bar 9, having a pin 26extending therefrom actuated by an upstanding arm 27, mounted upon oneof the nuts as it passes in one direction only of said nut, said armyielding and passing under said pin when the nut moves in the otherdirection. This furnishes an automatic count of the number of hamscompressed.

The double screw being a great multiplier of power, and this again beingfurther multiplcd by the hand-wheel, very great pressure can be appliedto the ham without much exertion on the part of the operator.

The jacket and end stops shown herein form no part of my presentinvention,which is confined to the press.

I claim- 1. In an tlppillttllllS of Y the character described, thecombination of a right and left handed screw, nuts traveling thereon, acompressor comprising bands crossing each other, and having their endssecured to said nuts, and means for turning said screw, substantially asdescribed.

scribed, the combination of a compressor comprising bands crossing eachother, the bands from one side passing between the bands of the otherside of the loop, supports for the ends of said bands, and means forseparating said supports, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

H. A. KURLFINKE.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS M. WRIGHT, BESSIE GORFINKEL.-

